Live action Halo web series to hit before the fourth game arrives (plus an official picture)

While a Peter-Jackson produced (or anybody produced) HALO movie may not happen for many years to come (if at all), Microsoft is moving forward in its own way with a live action series entitled HALO 4: FORWARD UNTO DAWN. The episodes will play exclusively on websites Machinima and Halo Waypoint in the weeks preceding HALO 4's November 6th release date, with the goal being "to make 'Halo' accessible for people who haven't played the games [and] do something unique from a narrative standpoint that's big in scale."

FORWARD UNTO DAWN is planned as of now to have five episodes, each which runs fifteen minutes or so. It will tell an original tale all about a young UNSC (United Nations Space Command) cadet and how his interactions with Master Chief inspire him to eventually become a leader on the UNSC spacecraft Infinity (which is of course intricately tied to the story of HALO 4 - see some concept art for it below).

"Every time we do a live-action commercial the audience says, 'We want to see more so that we can explore the 'Halo' universe a little bit more," said Frank O'Connor, franchise development director at 343 Industries (the studio Microsoft created expressly for all things HALO). "Demand grew more and more out of the two little vignettes we'd previously produced... Playing the games and reading the books or other "Halo" spinoffs is "a big commitment," O'Connor said. "We needed a way to ensure there was a way for people to get onboard this universe without feeling intimidated. [So this is] an origins story that teaches you about a lot of different facets of the ('Halo') universe."

And, of course, word is that Microsoft "considers the Web series 'the next step' for the franchise as an entertainment property that could eventually lead to a theatrical feature." So do you think that will one day be possible after all?

Extra Tidbit:

The UNSC Forward Unto Dawn is the ship in which Master Chief and Cortana have been floating at the start of HALO 4. Specifically, they've been floating for "four years, seven months, and ten days."